Educational game apparatus



D. MORGAN.

EDUCATIONAL GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED III/w8. Isle.

l l 94,2 1 3 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

IIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIII V IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DORA MORGAN, OF CORNING, CALIFORNIA.

EDUCATIONAL GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application led May 8, 1916.. Serial No. 96,032.v

To all lwhom may concern:

Be it known that I, DORA MORGAN, a citi- -zen of the United States, residing at Corning, in the county of Tehama and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Educational Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvementsin educational game apparatus.

-The primary object of the invention is the-provision of a game that will be' interesting and instructive to children, being in the nature of an educational -appliance adapted for aiding in memorizing the mul'ti` plication table and making this work a pleasure instead of anarduous task.

A further object of the device is the provision of a game board provided with sets of players and a desirable number of counters whereby two, three or four persons may `play the game eitheras individuals or as partners.

The present game is so arranged that four men or playing members are provided for each party playing the game, the board being arranged with a curved or V-shaped form of parallel traveling paths for each of the players, such paths being divided into three separate fields and each field being arranged with a prison while four differentcolors are arranged in each field for certain of the numbers of the squares or spaces to be played over, the numbers in eachV -eld for each player being identical and in succes` sive multiples of each of the players employed. I

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and then-claimed.

In the'drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding partsv numerical designations as the set shown. in Flg. 2.

The present game board comprises a rectangular board or base 10 which may be formed of any desirable material such 'as vcard board, preferably arranged foldable upon one of its diagonals whereby the board may resume its folded position when not in use. The board 10 is provided with a sub- -stantially X-shaped playing ground 1l having a central space or yard l2 arranged for the counters by which the moves of the players are determined. These counters illustrated at 13 may be of any desirable form, such as square pieces of card board provided with individual numbers thereon running from 1 to 9 both inclusive, it being preferable to employ nine sets of nine counters each so arranged thereby having eightyone counters in all to draw from at the beginning of the game.

The playing ground 11 roughly represents four arms14 giving the appearance'of being rectangular in cross-section and having terminal faces 15 forming a plate for each the yard l2 curving marginally around one of the four sidesthereof and vcontinuing longitudinally of the adjacent arm 14: and terminating at the plate 15 thereof. The paths 16 are divided into rst, second and third fields designated 17, 18 and 19 respectively, being separated by means of solid lines 20, which maybe black as herein illustrated or any other desirable color, similar lines 21 being positioned transversely of the opposite end portions of the paths 16. The men adapted for playing the game are provided inifour sets of four different colors lsuch'as red, blue, green and brown, each man being herein illustrated of disk form, the four men of each set such as the red men 22, bearing individual numbers, 6, 7, 8 and 9, number 6 of the blue men being shown at 23, number 6 of the green men at 24, and/ number 6 of the brown set at 25. The four paths for each set of men occupy one-half of thewidth of each arm 14 and the portions ,of each path in each of the fields 17, 18 and 19. are divided into an equal number of squares of playing positions, squares or spots,

s the first positions-of each. of the fields adjacent thebase or marginal line 21 being deslos ignated 6, 7, 8 and 9. The playing ground 11 is therefore of concavo-quadri-arm-shape having a central counter receiving yard in the form of an equi-lateral polygon or concavo-curvilinear quadrangle and having four inwardly curved sides 26 while the paths 16 at each edge of the board l() provide the playing spots over which the players men are adapted to travel in accordance with the rules of the game. Each of the fields 17, 18 and 19 is provided with a separate prison 17, 18 and 19 respectively, to which an opponents man may be taken in the event of the making of a certain play by an adversary.

The men of each player will be positioned upon the plates 15 at the beginning of the game or upon the blank spots 27 which are the first spaces formed in thepaths 16 of such player, these spots being arranged outwardly of the adjacent marginal line 21 of the arms. The first playing position or spot of the paths 16 is designated respectively, 6, 7, 8 and 9 for each of the men, such as the red men 22 while the spots of each path 16 for each of the fields 17, 18 and 19 are arranged nine in number and are designated by the successive nine products formed by multiplying the starting figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 with the digits 1 to 9 inclusive of the multiplication table. In each of the fields the paths starting with the numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9 are provided with brown spots which are numbered 54, 42, 56 and 72 respectively, while the said paths are pro- .vided with spots colored red, which are numbered respectively, 42, 56, 72 and 54 for each of the said paths, it being noted that the brown and the red spots bear similar numbers butv are positioned substantially in diametrical relations in the fiel-ds o f the playing ground. In each of the three fields for each of the four players the following spots are colored green, viz., in the path for the playing member 6, the spots 24, 30 and 36 are colored green; for the man 7 the spots 14 and 35; for the man 8 the spots 16 and 40 and for the man 9 the spots 36 and 45. It will be noted that in the first eld, there4 are no blue spots but in the second and third fields, blue spots are provided for the number 7 man being the spot 49, for the number 8 man the spot 64 and the number 9 man the spot 81.

With this arrangement of playing ground with the\color designations as heretofore set forth and with the men 22, 23, 24 and 25 to be moved by the players as determined by the counters 13, a playing of the ame will be briefly described. A player raws the top counter 13 and-places the same face side up upon the board 10. If such counter contains the figure 6, 7, 8 or 9, the player moves hls man having a corresponding number thereon to the firsi';.SPOt 28 keying the Sam@ number of his paths 16 to be moved over. If suchcounter contains any other number the player passes. The second player then draws the next counter placing it right side up and multiplies its number by the number of the counter previously drawnby his opponent and upon announcing the product,

vmoves the man which is a multiple of such product to the space bearing this product. For example, if the first player drew an 8 counter and the second player drew a 6, the second player announces the product 48 and then moves either his man G or 8 to the spot 48. If there is no spot bearing the product so formed, the player must pass. Thereafter, each player draws the top counter, multiplies the number thereon by the number upon the counter previously drawn by his opponent, announces the product and moves his man to the spot bearing the product or passes if there is no spot bearing such product.

When all of the counters have been drawn, the last counter drawn is allowed to remain on the board while the remaining counters are shuilied and again placed in the yard 16 and the game continues by the further drawing of the counters 13 and the multiplication thereof. If a player moves a man to one of the green spots heretofore described, such player is entitled to a second play by the drawing of another counter, multiplying and again moving his manif possible. If a player moves a man to a brown spot, his opponent must renter with his man of a corresponding number. For example, if the players man 7 moves to the spot 42 which is brown, then the opponents man 7 must be returned to the vacant space 27 and begin anew, by rentering the spots 28. If a player moves a man to a red spot, his opponent must move his man with a corresponding number to one of. the red prisons 17', 18 or 19 outside of the field in which the opponent is positioned, it being noted/ that the prisons for each of the fields have cells designated 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively, at the sides of which are the numbers of the red spots which will send a player to such prison, namely, 42, 56, 72 and 54 respectively. A man cannot be released from prison until his owner or player draws a counter giving either the product of the prisoner or the product that landed him in prison and when a man is released from prison, he renters the playing ground in whatever field he left to go to prison. For example, if a player moves his man 6 upon the spot 42 which is red, then his opponent must moveI his man 6 to the cell 6 in the red prison adjacent the field where the man is placed. The man 6 being in prison, the

product of 6X7 which is 42, or the product the second field, the man goes to the second prison, and when released, he renters upon the spot 6 in the second field.

The product of any of the blue spots 49, 64 or 81 will send a man home or out while the spots 29 at the opposite ends of the paths 16 from the entering spots 28 are the home spots, being numbered 6, 7 8 and 9 for the respective paths and players and are colored blue.

In playing partners, the same rules are followed excepting that when a player turns a counter producing a product which he cannot use, his partner has the privilege of making the play and if one partner sends his man home in advance of the other, both partners may continue drawing the counters for the benefit of the partner still playing. lVhen a player moves to one of the red spots in playing partners, both of the opponents men of corresponding numbers must go to prison.

The .background of the board 10 may be of any desired color, such as black while the color scheme employed for the playing spots may be varied as found desirable, while it Will be vevident that the form of the counters 13 as well as the menv may also be va- L'ied Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim as new is l. A game board having a playing ground of concavo-crusiform shape divided into individual numbered fields, the board having prison locations for the playing men of each player and having a home field location, each prison location being distinguished from the other, the portion of the field allotted to each player being distinguished from the remaining portions.

2. A game boa-rd having a playing ground divided into individual fields for different players, the individual fields bearing numbers corresponding to numbers on playing members used in playing the game, each of said fields being provided with separate play` ing paths divided into playing spot positions, and playing members bearing numbers thereon, the said field numbers being progressively arranged and constituting products of the number designations of the playing members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DORA MORGAN. 

